Once considered little more than astronaut fare and emergency kit supplies, the use of freeze-drying has evolved as a wealth of culinary potential, and a convenient way to improve your everyday cooking and snacking. Long championed for its ability to enhance the shelf life of ingredients without damaging their nutritional integrity, freeze-drying has now earned a place in the kitchen as a creative ingredient. From big voluminous, crispy crunchy airiness to a wide range of surprising culinary applications, take your next meal – or your next nibble – to a whole new level with freeze-dried foods.

Understanding Freeze Drying

The food item to be dehydrated is frozen, then placed in a vacuum where the ice is allowed to sublimate directly into vapour, skipping the liquid phase of the water molecules. The object that emerges retains its original shape and colouring, and is far lighter as the volume of the food has reduced dramatically. The flavour of the item has been concentrated, although it is still hygroscopic (changes texture when exposed to moisture). That’s where the packaging comes in, to protect against moisture. Lyophilisation, otherwise known as the process of freeze drying, has long been employed to preserve food while retaining the bulk, shape and colour of the items. It has also proven useful in the art world.

The Culinary Appeal of Freeze-Dried Foods

Intense Flavors

If you remove the water in the food via freeze-drying, it concentrates the flavours in a way that they can be more potent. Take a bite of a freeze-dried strawberry compared with a fresh one, and you’ll love the extra rang of sweetness and tartness. It won’t be exactly the same, but, when used sparingly, flavour can pop. I’ve used it as a finishing ingredient in desserts.

Unique Textures

One of the best things about freeze-dried foods is that they have a crisp, light, airy, whimsical texture. It’s fun just to crunch through bags and, because the freeze-drying preserves flavour, the food tastes good on its own. Like with any other ingredient, you need to be careful not to overdo it, but the crisp texture also gives this food the role of a textural contrast if you’re cooking. A handful of freeze-dried corn or peas will add a nice crunch in salads, for instance, or you can sprinkle a spoonful of freeze-dried strawberry pieces on top of a fruit dessert and they will melt instantly. The pound of freeze-dried ice cream is light, airy, and fluffy, almost like a shaved ice; nonetheless, you can scoop it and use a freezer spade to make it easier and less sticky.

Versatility in Cooking

In addition to munching, freeze-dried foods are also often ground into powders, which can be used as natural flavourings or colourings in smoothies, sauces, baking and more. Berry powders dried using the freeze-drying process can be added to frostings, pancake dough, yogurt and more to deepen their colours and add flavour. Mushroom powder made with freeze-dried mushrooms can be added to soups and stews to boost their umami without which recipes for stock and soup use fresh produce.

Unlocking Hidden Flavors in Your Kitchen

Experiment with Desserts

Freeze-dried fruits can drastically reshape the way you think about dessert. Toss them whole over cereal bars for a splash of colour and a satisfying crunch, or grind them into powder to make hues of fruit-flavoured sugars for rims on cocktail glasses or a shake of colour over cupcakes.

Elevate Your Beverages

And a spoonful of powder, whether of fruit concentrate or freeze-dried material, can add a concentrated flavour and colour punch to a morning smoothie, iced tea or cocktail, dissolving quickly in water and effectively enhancing drinks without artificial flavours or colours.

Enhance Savory Dishes

This strong intensity of flavour allows you to add piquancy to savoury dishes by sautéing in olive oil rehydrated freeze-dried vegetables and herbs. Mushrooms, onions and peppers can simply be added to soup, stews and pasta sauces – which may otherwise seem a bit flat – to provide the taste of summer produce out of season. And instant piquancy can be provided as well by using powdered freeze-dried garlic or herbs in rubs and marinades.